Favourite Patient
by x Varda x
Summary: Rodney is Jennifer's favourite patient. Gen. Pre-ship Rodney/Jennifer.


A/N - Set in season 5 before The Shrine

**Favourite Patient**

Jennifer was sitting in her lab off the infirmary engrossed in research when she heard someone outside clear their throat.

"Uhm, hello?"

She sighed and hit save and headed out. She wasn't massively surprised to find Rodney standing in the infirmary. She recognised the pain signals as he was standing stiffly clutching a hand against himself.

She guided him over to a bed with her hand on his shoulder where he sat down with a wince.

"What can I do for you today, Rodney?"

"My hand," he gasped. "It really hurts."

Jennifer gently teased his hand away from his chest. Rodney closed his eyes and turned away.

Jennifer closely examined the fingers and back of the hand presented to her, then narrowed her eyes and turned it over to study the palm. "Hmm, I can't see anything."

Rodney murmured unhappily.

"Where does it hurt?"

He didn't look but pointed to the pad of his forefinger. Jennifer examined it more closely and carefully palpating the offending digit.

Rodney flinched "Y'ouch!"

"Ah yes, I can see it now." There was a small cut that only became apparent when her manipulations opened the wound. "Sit tight."

She came back with disinfectant and a plaster and cleaned and wrapped the injured digit. While she worked she tried to distract her patient from the pain by asking, "How did it happen?"

"Piece of paper in the lab. I swear, every time I touch the stuff I get cut. It has a vendetta against me ever since I switched to mainly using the computers."

She stuck the plaster down and let go of his hand. "There you are, all set. Try to be more careful."

Rodney jumped off the bed, thanked her and left.

Jennifer tidied away her supplies, then went and made a note in Rodney's medical records. She narrowed her eyes and frowned slightly as she scrolled through the list of attendances, then closed the records and went back to her research.

xxx

The next day Jennifer was on afternoon and evening shift when a familiar patient entered the infirmary.

She had just been tending a marine who'd come back a little worse for wear from a planet his team had dubbed 'pot hole world.'

"Rodney! How's the finger?"

He showed her the plastered tip and dismissed her query with an, "It's fine, fine thanks."

"How can I help you today?"

"My head," he said. She noted the edges of his eyes were tight and his mouth was downturned. "I have such a headache."

"Okay hop up on the bed and let's take a look."

"It's a headache," he said in a flat voice. "I just need some pills." He then started to mutter, "Don't know why I can't have a box. I'd get some on Earth."

"We're in another galaxy, Rodney, and a headache could be the first sign of something more serious."

Rodney's eyes widened and he started to breathe audibly. "You think this is something serious? Am I going to die?!"

Jennifer sighed internally. "Hopefully not, but I need to know about anything that happens on and off Atlantis just in case."

He got on the bed and she asked him a few questions. Satisfied it was nothing more serious she let him go with some painkillers and strict instructions to eat properly, cut back on the caffeine and get a good night's sleep.

xxx

The next day Jennifer was just finishing up her night shift when Rodney entered. She frowned as she went over to him and said, "Rodney, what a pleasant surprise! Three days in a row this week."

He lifted his chin. "It's not my fault that basic medicines are withheld from me."

"No, it's protocol," Jennifer said with a smile and sing song tone.

Rodney a face grew stormy and Jennifer stopped smiling.

"So, what's up?"

"I, uhm, couldn't sleep." He said sadly. "I have this pain in my side."

She led him over to a bed. "When did it start?"

"Couple of hours ago, it woke me up."

"Where?"

He pointed to his middle, just to the left of his bellybutton.

Jennifer pulled the privacy curtain around and said, "Okay lie down, lift your shirt up and let's take a look."

Rodney did as she asked and grimaced as he lay there and she palpated the area. He didn't flinch or show any pain response as she touched him. "It might be something you ate," she said.

Suddenly his abdominal muscles tensed up so she could no longer feel him. He pushed her hands away but he didn't appear to be in pain. His face went bright red and he jumped off the bed like he'd been electrocuted. He turned away and pulled his shirt back down.

"What is it?"

Rodney looked very flustered and spoke awkwardly, "No no no, you're right, probably just something I ate. No need for more touching," he huffed a humourless laugh, "No need for a beautiful woman to examine me further."

He then left, limping out the room as fast as he could, waving her off as she called out for him to return if his symptoms worsened.

Jennifer eyed the Rodney shaped indent that he'd left in the bed and sighed. This wasn't the first time she'd had this reaction from her male patients.

She went over to her computer and updated Rodney's medical notes, her frown deepening as she skimmed through them.

xxx

"Rodney!" Jennifer said in greeting the next day, "What can I do for my favourite patient today?"

He was limping again but not due to what happened the day before.

"I twisted my ankle."

"Okay, lie down and I'll see what I can do."

He looked a little unhappy as he did as she asked and she said, "I can call a male doctor if you prefer."

He lay down and said, "No it's fine."

"How did you do it?" She asked as she very carefully removed his shoe and sock and tested the limb.

"Some idiot left their laptop on the floor."

"You should be more careful." Jennifer said while she manipulated his ankle.

"I can't help it if the morons leave things lying around where they shouldn't!"

"Not just today, Rodney, you've been here every day this week."

His anger faded a little then came back in full force. "I can't help it! Things keep hurting me."

"And when I checked, you only seem to come in while I'm on duty."

"Well you are here most of the time," Rodney said, his ears turning pink.

"I think it's just a mild sprain. I'll wrap it and get you some painkillers."

He left soon after with instructions to raise the injured limb and try not to walk on it too much for the next few days.

xxx

Rodney didn't come to the infirmary the next day, or the day after. Jennifer actually felt glad that he'd taken her advice and was now looking after himself better.

On the third day the infirmary received an emergency call from Sheppard.

"What's happened?" Jennifer asked as she grabbed her gear and two other staff got ready to move out.

"It's Rodney."

Jennifer's heart sank.

"He didn't turn up for the team briefing. I found him face down on the floor in his quarters. There's blood everywhere and he's not responding."

Jennifer and her team took a gurney with them.

xxx

"Any idea what caused this?" Jennifer asked as she wrapped a pressure bandage around Rodney's upper leg where he was now situated on the gurney in his quarters, an oxygen mask on his face and bags of fluid held aloft while they drained into him.

"I don't know," Sheppard said from where he was keeping well clear of the medical staff. "I'll try and find out."

A full survey of her patient had revealed dark bruising on his chest, possibly with a fractured rib underneath but she'd need to get him on the scanner to confirm. His heart rate was a little high and his blood pressure low, there was a troubling pool of blood on the floor and his clothes were soaked with it.

They wheeled Rodney out and to the nearest transporter.

xxx

A few hours and one scan later, Rodney began to stir. The large cut on his leg had been stitched and bandaged but he'd lost a lot of blood and was very pale and weak.

Jennifer heard the monitor change and came over. She gave him a little water and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Hurts a bit. What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Jennifer said as she adjusted the flow of painkillers into her patient. "Your injuries were serious - a deep laceration to your upper leg and a fractured rib. You'd lost a lot of blood before we found you."

"I just remember working in a lab when the console exploded. I didn't want to trouble you with my minor medical complaints again."

Jennifer's heart clenched. "This isn't minor."

"I know."

He looked away and closed his eyes. "I don't want you thinking less of me because I'm here all the time."

"Of course I don't!"

He snuffled a little from the cannula feeding him oxygen under his nose. "Things keep hurting me, I can't help it."

"Atlantis is a dangerous place like the rest of the galaxy, so it's important no one is suffering more than they should."

"I seem to get the brunt of it."

"That you do, but don't stop coming to see me, especially when something like this happens."

He finally looked at her with his eyes wide with hope. "And you don't think I'm weak?"

"How could I when you're my favourite patient?"

He smiled back at her.

xxx

Jennifer went further back in Rodney's extensive medical records later that day while he was sleeping and she saw that his attendances had always been high for minor illnesses and complaints. There didn't seem to be a change in the pattern since she had taken over from Carson.

She sighed and went over to check on him. He was sleeping and drooling a little and she smiled as she unnecessarily straightened the bed sheet covering him.


End file.
